Minister of Fire2.

NULL

Well, I am burning some of the smaller splits of the mystery wood that people think is either locust or Siberian elm (the majority siding with locust), and I am actually getting blue flames around the logs that are sitting on a bed of coals. This stuff is slow burning, but it is really dense and throwing off some good heat. Was actually mesmerized by the blue flames tonight and spent a couple minutes watching them. Don't know if I have ever seen blue flames from wood, much less this blue.

Guest2.

NULL

That's a characteristic trait of locust. Long, slow burn, steady heat, pure blue flames, super hot coal bed.......
Makes it the best wood in my stacks.....I go out of my way to get it. I have two big splits of it in the stove now, it'll last me til 7:00am and the house will still be at 73 degrees......

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

That's a characteristic trait of locust. Long, slow burn, steady heat, pure blue flames, super hot coal bed.......
Makes it the best wood in my stacks.....I go out of my way to get it. I have two big splits of it in the stove now, it'll last me til 7:00am and the house will still be at 73 degrees......

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You keep the house that cold. lol

It was 70 in the house when I started the furnace at 9:00 right before the kids went to bed and now it is 75. The damper should be closing here pretty soon and I doubt I am going to put anymore wood in the furnace tonight. Just too nice during the day for the house to lose much heat. Might go down there and stare at the blue flames some more though.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

I hope your OK this morning fabs...................it's hard to come back when you stare at blue flames

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Yeah, I barely made it back today. Those blue flames were beautiful. Notice that they just come right off the coals blue. I really do not remember seeing something like that. Don't know if I never paid attention until last night, or if it has to do with the wood being locust.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

Fabs--that's exactly what inspired my moniker. A couple years ago I noticed a mezmerizing blue flame, almost like a lit cocktail drink, hovering ghostlike on the edges and in the secondaries. Thus "Blue2ndaries" was born... It never gets old to look at....

Feeling the Heat2.

NULL

I am not sure how far east hedge will grow but it is an awesome firewood. Blue flames like the locast. Most times when you burn a (seasoned) 4-5in dia log, it will keep it's shape, and turn into one big glowing log shape ember, and will "clink-clink-clink" shatter like a crystal when you hit it with the poker.

Osburn 2400 Insert - first fired April 5th, 2012.
Did it myself with the help of family, friends, and this forum.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

If you Google "non-luminous flame" you'll be able to read quite a bit about blue flame and the circumstances in which it happens, but relatively few pages deal with flame from wood. This Forest Service / Forest Products Laboratory paper is long and gets into chemistry that's over my head, but the first several pages offer a readable and unusually detailed description of the stages of wood combustion. From page 6:

When the surface rises somewhat beyond 1000° C. (yellowish-red heat), carbon is consumed at the surface as fast as the reaction zones penetrate into the piece. The luminous diffusion flames give way, as the reactions of primary wood pyrolysis become exhausted, to the nonluminous diffusion flames of burning carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

New Member2.

NULL

Well, I am burning some of the smaller splits of the mystery wood that people think is either locust or Siberian elm (the majority siding with locust), and I am actually getting blue flames around the logs that are sitting on a bed of coals. This stuff is slow burning, but it is really dense and throwing off some good heat. Was actually mesmerized by the blue flames tonight and spent a couple minutes watching them. Don't know if I have ever seen blue flames from wood, much less this blue.

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that's the methane, there is a small amount of time towards the end that these blue flames turn into blue little fire flies, dancing around. those are the coolest.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

Seeing blues and purples, getting mesmerized by little blue fire flies dancing around, methane and hydrocarbons................... for a moment there I thought I was back in the 70's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flashback there............

New Member2.

NULL

Seeing blues and purples, getting mesmerized by little blue fire flies dancing around, methane and hydrocarbons................... for a moment there I thought I was back in the 70's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flashback there............

New Member2.

NULL

Yeah, I barely made it back today. Those blue flames were beautiful. Notice that they just come right off the coals blue. I really do not remember seeing something like that. Don't know if I never paid attention until last night, or if it has to do with the wood being locust.

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Every wood will produce the methane flame, just some more than others. Locust, is dense has more energy stored in it.